St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-03-17
THE OLD SLEIGH.
&c Elizabeth "


Coming
ssThere, mother, old Speckle has re-
turned thanks at last" holding up a
plump, white egg that would do credit
to any queen of the poultry yard.
s.Well, alters said that hen was
thankful for past mercies, though your
father would laugh every time / said
so. Liddy Stevens has jes been here
she wanted to see you, but you was
gone so long l thought you must be
down to Mis- Pennell's.'
eyes. l met her as she came through
the yard"
"She didn't tell you the news, die
she 2"
"She told me Will Marston had re-
turned from California"
at does beat all bout that boy
seems jest like the piece o. poetry you
read sometimes about the Teller thai
went off and stayed so many years and
then come back and took his mother
out o. the pOOr-house-Only it's the
father this time. The very worst OF
the deacOn's SIX it called him, and
that's jest what Will was then. l new
er believed he had any thing to do witt
that scrape down to the village. Lid
dy says he is terribly rich, and is going
to take care of his father; the deacon
must be glad, for l guess he's stayed
with Caleb most as long us he can COM
fortably. They say he's going to mar
ry Sam Miller's darter Ruth. You see
when Bob Miller went out there for his
health Will found him out and done
little kindnesses for him, and when he
was to sick to write home Will wrote
for him. Part o. the time Sam was
sick hisself, so Ruth answered the let
ters, and he fell in love with her that
way. There didn't anybody but the
deacon and the Millers know he was
coming. Sam drove down to the depot
and carried him up to Caleb's. Guess
they was some surprised to see him."
There is no knowing how long Mrs.
Allen would have gone on, her tongue
keeping time to the busy click -clack OF
her needles, had not Mr.. Aliens step
sounded on the walk.
| Elizabeth never talked much, and
the mother did not mind her silence
tonight. A slight culver about the
sensitive mouth alone told how keenly
the words were felt, and the sigh of re-
lief which escaped at the welcome
sound of her fathers voice was lost in
|
ing the snow from his boots.
"Why, father, does it SNOWY | ben
so busy talking | hain't thought to
look out of the window for some time"
eyes, it's begun to come down right
smart shouldn't wonder if it was good
sleighing by to morrow"
"YOu don't think it is going to be a
| long storm ~
Mrs. Aliens face had an anxious ex-
preston as she asked the question, for
a long storm meant days of exile for
her.
"NO, sh'll be surprised if it don't
clear up by tomorrow DOOn--sO's Liza
beth and | can take ride to the viii
lage; that'll be IL treat, won't it darter9''
and the smile that lighted up his
daughters face pleased him better than
any answer could have done.
"Guess Pll get the old sleigh out.
Ben Smart's ben down to the city, and
he says he saw lots jest like it !; it's five
years since [ sent Jim to the village
for the new one, and it's never been
out since. Pm glad it's come into
fashion again, for | never enjoyed my
self complete in the new One-always
felt IL little above my station" and
Farmer Aliens laugh rang through the
old sitting room at the fitness of his re-
mark.
"Well, Elizabeth, you get supper on
the table, and I'll tell father the news
while he warns his feet. He's ben
down to the wood lot all the afternoon
and hain't heard nothing of the strange
things that has been happening up
here"
Having arranged things to her salts
faction, the stockings Mrs. Allen had
dropped on the entrance of her hus-
band continued to grow under her def
fingers, while the news lost none of its
interest with repetition.
That night, after Elizabeth had tax
ell her candle and said good night, Mr..
Allen sat for some time looking at the
fire, then suddenly broke out:
"MOther, don't you think Elizabeth
looks kind O. peaked latelyP Then
she don't seem to eat as MECH as usual"
"There, father, you're always fretting
bout that girl. [ don't know what
you'd a done if you'd had six like your
brother Jonathan"
81 didn't know but the news about
Will might affect her some. You know
they used to think so much of each
other"
"Massy, father! that was years and
years ago, when they were children.
'Lizabeth's too sensible girl to let
teller like Will MarstOn disturb her.
When he stopped writing to her, she
gave him up. She's worked hard to-
day, and good nights rest will bring
her round"
There seemed nothing more to be
said, SO he took "a light and proceeded
to make everything safe for the night,
but long after his good wife was asleep
he lay awake thinking of the pale face
his daughter had lifted for the good
night kiss.
Elizabeth was not likely to get the
strength her mother thought from a
nights rest. Until the first ray of
morning lighted up the east she lay
thinking of the old days, and living
them over again. She could not re-
member the time when she and Will
had not seemed to belong to each 9th
er. When they were children he had
drawn her to and from school on his
sled, saved here the largest half of his
apple or orange, and fought all her
battles with a vigOr worthy of an Olden
knight. When the years in their flight
made them no longer children, it was